


"I Repeat, Bravo 1 is Down"

by Nicnag



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 03:48:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20221300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicnag/pseuds/Nicnag
Summary: While trying to save their team leader, each Bravo member reflects on their relationship with Jason and ways to help him





	"I Repeat, Bravo 1 is Down"

Weary to the bone, Clay held onto his Boss’s hand for dear life. Not for his own life, but for Jason’s. The hand in his didn’t grip back.   
***

“Come on Boss, you can’t do this, you can’t quit. Please!” Clay begged, not caring who heard him. Tears made tracks through the dirt on his face as they fell down his cheeks.

It all happened so fast. Never had a statement been truer. Despite the mission going sideways, they all felt as if they had it back under control so they moved on. Clay was on overwatch with Ray. Too many tangos for one sniper to take out. The two needed to give their team a clear path to the weapons cache. The team heard the explosion first, then felt the heat, but it was coming from the wrong direction. He scrambled to get his back against a wall so he could see both sides as the roaring fire continued to burn, smoke reaching the heavens.

“What the hell was that? What did we just see?” Blackburns voice is heard through the comms, but no one had time to answer. 

Tangos were popping up all over. They were coming from all 3 buildings and out of the ground, out of the hole in what they believed to be the weapons cache. It was reminiscent of the explosion he had seen that took out Adam.

“Sitrep,” Blackburn demanded again after seeing the dozens of tangos appearing all of a sudden on ISR. Lisa leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers behind her head as she tried to take a steadying breath, but failed. While a SEAL is never out of the fight, her team was outnumbered 6 to 1. Blackburn can see the men fighting off the tangos, hoping they can get reinforcements there in time. 

Davis already has the phone to her ear when she asks, “QRF?” Eric nodded and she hit dial. Mandy burst into the room, her face pale. 

“It was a set up, bad intel. They knew we were coming,” Mandy relayed.

Eric couldn’t help but be upset. “No shit,” he barked. 

He was angry that her intel may cause his teams death. The support team took notice to Blackburns response, which was out of character for him, especially when addressing a woman. He would apologize later. Eric could see his men huddled in a corner, dragging a body with them. Eric held his breath, not knowing which team member was on the ground. All he could tell is that Ray and Clay were taking out tangos faster than expected and those that made their way to the rest of the team were goaded closer, then a grenade thrown over the stone wall. The wall gave them protection from the blast. The few remaining tangos still alive were rounded up by Cerb and ziptied by Brock and Sonny. 

“I hope Mandy can pull intel from one of these 3,” Sonny muttered, not wanting to deal with keeping any of them alive. 

In what seemed like hours but was just a few moments, Rays voice came over the comms. Instantly Eric, and the rest of support, knew which team member was down. 

“Toc, this is Bravo 2. How do you copy?” 

“Good copy, sitrep,” Eric held in his breath as his insides felt like they were being twisted. 

“Bravo 1 is down, unconscious, probably concussion, heavy bleeding from thigh, rebar through and through, he was closest to the blast.” 

“How bad is it?” Eric asked, knowing Trent would know the question was directed at him. 

“It’s bad. He’s losing blood faster than we can stop it.” 

Eric hung his head as he exhaled. Relief that Jason was still alive spread through him, but once Trent updated him, his stomach was in knots again. Eric had led many teams in his career after he himself was an operator, but this team was different in both good and bad ways. They would never sacrifice another to save one of their own. They would all sacrifice their own life to try to save one of their brothers. They would risk the many over the few. If one went down, the others still may. It’s that dedication to each other though, that holds Bravo together. They may call each other brothers, but the relationship is far more personal. You don’t get to pick your familial brothers, but in a way, they’ve been able to pick their SEAL brothers, and that means so much more. Eric would have never guessed the team would end up this way, but once Clay joined, it was evident that the team was now complete.

Clay should be watching for tangos despite the lull in activity but all he can watch is a frantic Trent leaning over an unconscious Jason. 

“Why the hell him? Why our leader?” Clay mumbled, hoping it’s not as bad as it looks. 

By the time he’s off his perch, he races to his team huddled behind a stone wall just in case there are any tangos still lurking after the initial onslaught. Sonny scooted back so Clay could have his spot. Clay looked down at his Boss, covered in dirt and sand, cuts and scrapes littering any exposed skin. His forearms had been burned, most likely 3rd degree. There was a chunk of rebar from a building when the bunker had blown, lodged in his left thigh. Clay assumed all the feelings he was having watching Jason bleed out should be what he would have felt for his dad if Ash was the injured teammate. 

While he and Jason would never admit it, Clay knew that Jason felt more protective over him than the others. Sometimes Clay bucked the smothering, but he’d rather be smothered than dead. He knew just like Sonny’s never ending list of nicknames, being smothered was because they cared, something he lacked in his life. 

While the team may say that Clay completed Bravo, Clay felt like the team completed him, that it was the piece he’d been searching for his entire adult life. He was almost 30, but Jason was old enough to be his dad. Maybe that’s why the two felt the way they did. Maybe it’s because Clay is usually the injured one needing help and Jason has to rescue him, just like a dad would rescue their child. 

Clay heard Ray telling them all what to do through the ringing in his ears from the explosion now that he had to be Bravo 1. Clay watched Jason’s chest rise and fall, shallower than it should be, but he was still breathing as Trent feverishly worked to contain the bleeding in his thigh while Brock dumped burn gel on both of Jason’s forearms before Sonny wrapped them in gauze. Clay vowed he would be with Jason every time those bandages needed to be changed. He knows just how painful burns can be after the bombing that nearly ended his life, which says a lot given their jobs. It’s an indescribable pain. It feels like your skin is being filleted. It’s more painful than the actual burn. Clay leaned his back against the wall, pulling Jason up to him while Ray and Sonny helped position their Boss in Clay’s lap. Clay reached his arms around Jason’s mid section. One arm held him close to his chest while the other gripped Jason’s hand. 

How many times had the roles been reversed? Jason shouldn’t get hurt, he shouldn’t ever be down. Clay was used to it, half expected it, but he wasn’t team leader. There were so many things he wanted to tell Jason if this were to be the end, even if Jason couldn’t hear him. Tears began to spill down his cheeks but he didn’t bother to wipe them away. He gripped Jason’s hand as tight as he could. If strength would bring Jason back to the conscious, then Clay’s grip would have. Trent caught Clay’s misty eyes with his own watery eyes. “We need QRF now,” was all the medic said before continuing to pull medical supplies from every pocket of his. “Come on Jace, I need you. You aren’t done teaching me yet. Said I need to stop taking risks. I will stop. I promise I will stop if you just hold on.” 

Ray wasn’t above begging. It was something he rarely did on the battlefield which isn’t what most would expect. He reserves the begging for the direst situations, like when Sonny was in the torpedo tube. As Ray hoofed it with Brock and Cerb to the LZ to get the litter and extra medics to help Trent save Jason, he prayed. He wasn’t even aware he was praying out loud until Brock whispered, “Amen,” when he was done. 

“Dear Heavenly Father, I know we haven’t spoken for a while but I need You today, I need You right now, in this very moment. His kids have lost their mother already. Please don’t make them orphans,” Ray begged through the tears stinging his eyes, the gravity of the situation weighing him down. 

Sure, he had lost brothers before, but Jason wasn’t just his brother, he was his best friend, even when they were at odds. Ray was the first to be at Jason’s side when Alana died. He wasn’t even operating with them at the time, but he was still there. Ray was upset when Sonny told him he was glue after the dust up in the Manila bar. He didn’t want that on himself, but since then, he knows what Sonny meant. Jason is tasked with protecting the entire team, but it’s Bravo 2 who is to always have Bravo 1 in their sites. If he doesn’t have his 6, then 1 won’t be there to protect the team. He felt like a mediator, often as exhausted as Eric felt after a mission had gone sideways and Jason was amped up like after Clay was hurt in the bombing. Rays legs ached, his arms felt weak. Holding up his gun was taking more effort than it should. He felt like he was walking through quicksand, each step taking all his strength. 

Brock listened to Ray pray, staying silent as usual until the end. “God doesn’t ‘do’ anything ‘to’ us, His promise is that he will always be ‘with’ you through whatever you are facing,” Brock said quietly, but with great vindication. 

Brock saw the look of surprise and the slack jaw for just a moment in Ray’s face before he caught his emotions. Brock knew all of them are surprised when he talks, but the team knew that if Brock was saying it, then they should listen. As a dog handler, he limits how much he says for two reasons. One, he doesn’t accidentally want to give a command and two, he wants Cerb to be focused on his voice at all times versus droning him out if he constantly listened to him talk. 

Ray didn’t know Brock was raised in the church and he definitely didn’t know that Brock believed in a higher power. Very little was known about Brock by his teammates. He considered himself just the dog handler since where Cerb goes, he follows, but when he joined Bravo, it felt different. It felt like the guys wanted both him and Cerb. They looked out for him just like they looked out for anyone else. He went on missions even when Cerb didn’t. They treated the hair missile like one of them as well, taking care of him both on and off rotation. While all of the guys would be hit hard if something happened to either himself or Cerb, Jason would take it the hardest because if he lost one, he would lose both. If there was no dog, there was no need for a handler. If there was no handler, there was no need for a dog. He knew the Brass wouldn’t let him keep Brock without Cerb because there are too few dog handlers the way it is and Jason wouldn’t take on another dog until he had time with it to see how it operated. He appreciated how Jason lets him sneak Cerb into the hospital to see wounded brothers. Well, sneak probably isn’t the right word. More like let him do it and if anyone said a word, they would feel Jason’s wrath with just one look, his pointed glare that made his eyes gleam. You never want to be on the receiving end of that glare. Brock brought himself back to the present as they heard the thudding of the helo coming over the ridge. There was no closer spot to land between the landscape and the potential threat of more insurgents underground.

Sonny moved aside to let Clay have his spot. Although he’s known Jason far longer, and was drafted by him, Sonny knew Clay and Jason had a special relationship. As much as Jason tries to tell them all he thinks of Clay as a brother like the rest of the teammates, the whole team knows he feels more like a father. The team also knows that Clay needs a father figure despite being a grown man. Ash was back in Clays life helping him deal with Swanny’s death, but the closeness isn’t there yet, maybe never will be. 

Sonny swiped at the dirt causing his eyes to water. At least that is what he told himself to be the source of his leaky green eyes. While he was concerned for Jason, listening to Clay beg and plead was turning him inside out. The Texan took Jason’s free hand in his while scooting closer to Clay against the wall. He used his own free hand to put on Clay’s thigh. Sonny could feel the trembling in Clay’s whole body causing him more grief. 

Sonny would lay down his life for any of them, even trade spots if he could, but that’s not how it worked. He was thankful that he was the one in the sub tube. He knows he wouldn’t have been able to be on the outside and not be able to rescue his brother. He was afraid he wouldn’t have been able to say what he needed to say. Had it been Clay, Sonny would have exploded. He and Clay had the strongest bond, even more so than Ray and Jason. It was a “match” no one saw coming. Jason had no doubt that if Sonny lost Clay that way that he wouldn’t be able to go back on the battlefield with a clear mind, ending his career as an operator. Sure, Clay could go out in a “blaze of Glory” like they all want to if they should die while in country, but it would still haunt Sonny. 

What would he say to Jason if this was the end? Would he tell him it was an honor, tell him he won’t forget him, tell him thank you for giving him a spot on Bravo? No, he knew Jason already knew all of that. He would tell him that he would watch out for the Kid now. That would mean the most to his Boss.

Trent knew he couldn’t panic, but it was still hard. He was screaming on the inside trying to keep calm on the outside. However he acted, the rest of the team would follow suit. Although Ray was acting as team leader, it was on Trent to keep the team focused. Trent’s normally steady hands shook a bit as he steadied the rebar, which was causing Jason to bleed out. The medic knew Sonny could see the slight tremors in his hands, but Clay could barely see as tears streamed down his face. Jason was losing too much blood no matter how tight he held packing on his team leaders thigh. The only other option was to remove the rebar, something that is extremely rare to do in the field. 

He pricked Jason’s vein to start an IV. Despite Jason being unconscious, most likely from hitting his head when the explosion swept him off his feet, he still gave him morphine in case the severe pain from the rebar extraction brought him back to consciousness. While he wanted to see his Boss’s eyes, he wanted him to stay out until he was done. Trent then ran a bag of blood to help replenish what was being lost. It would help, it would buy him a little more time, but it wasn’t the answer. 

“Do you got him?” Trent asked without even looking up at Clay and Sonny. 

“yeah.” “Yes.” 

“Hold him tighter,” Trent instructed, even though the two men were holding onto Jason as tight as they could. Sonny had moved around to the other side to be able to hold Jason’s good leg. Trent sat on his bad leg’s knee to keep it immobile as he slowly and carefully pulled the rebar out. It had gone through, like a through and through GSW, which is why he felt removing it may be the best option. Having the foreign body out would reduce risk of infection and further damage. Trent wasn’t aware he was talking out loud.

“Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” 

He repeated it several times as he pulled the rebar out and then quickly covered both sides of Jason’s thigh with gauze. Sonny held onto the packing so Trent could wrap gauze around. Trent rocked back on his heels and took a breath. Before he ran a bag of fluid, he checked Jason’s bp and pulse. He found it to be better than before, but still not where he’d like it to be. He tried to wipe away the sweat pouring down his face but instead smeared their Boss’s blood across his forehead. Clay would have joked it looked like Simba in the Lion King, but this wasn’t the appropriate time for a comment like that. 

By the time Ray and Brock made it back with the litter and medics, Clay had gotten control of his emotions, as did Trent and Sonny. Both Brock and Ray could see the tear lines down their teammates cheeks, but they knew he and Brock’s faces looked the same. Just as the men carefully moved Jason to the litter, he groaned and his eyes flicked open. 

“Hey man, we got you,” Trent said to him, his voice thick with emotion as he put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. 

“You are going to be okay, gotta get you out of here.” 

“It hurts…..it hurts,” Jason moaned, shaking his head back and forth like he was trying to rid himself of the pain. 

“I know man, this will help,” Trent said as he prepared to dose Jason with another shot of morphine, but Jason’s hand reached out to him to make him stop. 

“Not….yet….I want to say--” Trent cut Jason off telling him they were taking him to the hospital for surgery to stop the bleeding. 

Jason used all his energy to say, “Let me talk.” 

As the team each took a corner of the litter and Trent stayed at Jason’s side, the men started walking towards the helo. The extra medics were picking up supplies. 

“Ray---don’t ever----don’t quit your faith. Couldn’t have….a better 2,” Jason choked out. A lump formed in Ray’s throat again as he sent another plea to his Lord. 

“Brock----best handler----best hair missile----this team won’t work…..without you two.” Brock reached down and scratched Cerb between the ears. 

“Sonny, best decision-----was to draft-----you. Watch out for the Kid.” Sonny looked into Jason’s eyes and silently vowed to take up watch over their youngest member if things went south for Jason. 

“Trent, you did all…..that you could…..every time. No one else-----no one can do what-----you do for us.” Trent looked down at his blood stained hands, praying that what he did would be enough to keep Jason alive til he could have surgery and more blood. 

“Kid, you are….like a Son to me….watch over….Emma and Mikey.” Clay blinked back the tears that were starting to sting his eyes again. 

The whole team knew Jason thought he may not make it so they did all they could to encourage him to hang on.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick 1 post getting into the team members minds as they fear the loss of their team leader


End file.
